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<\/p>\nPHOENIX \u2013\u2013 The reality dawned on Max Muncy near the end of last season.<\/p>\n
Austin Barnes and Chris Taylor were gone. Clayton Kershaw was headed toward offseason retirement. And every other player around him in the Dodgers clubhouse had arrived after he did in 2018.<\/p>\n
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The title of \u201clongest-tenured Dodger,\u201d Muncy realized, would suddenly belong to him in 2026.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt was a wild thought,\u201d the 35-year-old third baseman told The California Post on Saturday. \u201cBut it\u2019s definitely a blessing. It\u2019s something I\u2019m really grateful for.\u201d<\/p>\n
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epa07123223 Los Angeles Dodgers batter Max Muncy celebrates after hitting a game-winning walk off home run against the Boston Red Sox in the bottom of the eighteenth inning of game three of the World Series at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, 26 October 2018. The Red Sox lead the best-of-seven series 2-1 to determine the champion of Major League Baseball. EPA\/ADAM DAVIS EPA<\/p>\n
Indeed, ever since he resurrected his MLB career with the club almost a decade ago, Muncy\u2019s goal has been to stay in Los Angeles for the rest of his playing days.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s why he bypassed the arbitration system to sign a three-year, $26 million deal in 2020. Why he twice agreed to club-friendly extensions, rather than test the free agent market, in the three years after that. And why, after the team exercised a club option in his latest contract this winter to bring him back in 2026, he expressed immediate interest to the front office in inking another extension \u2013\u2013 ultimately resulting in this week\u2019s $10 million pact through at least 2027.<\/p>\n
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California Post News: Facebook<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, TikTok<\/a>, X<\/a>, YouTube<\/a>, WhatsApp<\/a>, LinkedIn<\/a> \u201cI\u2019m very happy with where I\u2019m at,\u201d Muncy said. \u201cIt\u2019s just one of those things where, I wanted to get something done, they wanted to get something done, and we reached an agreement on something we both felt was fair.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Muncy, of course, could have pursued a potentially more lucrative path moving forward.<\/p>\n Though the two-time All-Star and three-time World Series champion has been limited by injuries the last couple seasons, he remains one of the most productive third basemen in baseball, coming off a 2025 campaign in which he hit .243 (his best mark in four years) with 19 home runs and 67 RBIs in 100 games.<\/p>\n If he posts similar numbers in 2026, he almost certainly would have been able to earn more than the $7 million salary his new Dodgers contract will guarantee for next season.<\/p>\n \u201cI know I\u2019m leaving some money on the table,\u201d Muncy said Saturday. \u201cBut I want to be here. I want to end my career here. I know who I am as a person, and I wouldn\u2019t be happy trying to chase money somewhere else. I\u2019ve never been comfortable trying to do that. And I wouldn\u2019t be comfortable now.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Muncy\u2019s current contract situation includes the opportunity to make more.<\/p>\n According to a source, he has incentives for up to $2.25 million for this season (he will earn $15,000 for every plate appearance he makes between 401 and 550) on top of his $10 million base salary. His new extension includes salary escalators of up to $3.75 million extra for 2027 based on his number of plate appearances this year ($20,000 each for each between 401-500, and $35,000 for each between 501-550). And if the Dodgers pick up his club option for 2028, which is for $10 million and comes with a $3 million buyout, he will have the same salary escalator structure for 2028, based off his 2027 plate appearances.<\/p>\n Still, Muncy knows his new deal has been seen around the industry as below market value.<\/p>\n LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA \u2013 MAY 08: (L-R) Max Muncy and Kellie Muncy attend Netflix Is A Joke Festival Presents: Dodgers Comedy Night Hosted By Cedric The Entertainer at The Orpheum Theatre on May 08, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Charley Gallay\/Getty Images for Netflix) Netflix Is A Joke Festival Presents: Dodgers Comedy Night Hosted By Cedric The Entertainer Getty Images for Netflix<\/p>\n For him, however, staying in Los Angeles was the most valuable thing of all.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n \u201cAt the end of the day, for me and my family, you have to start putting your focus on some things,\u201d Muncy said. \u201cAnd it was, \u2018Would we really be happy trying to chase money, watching these guys winning the World Series?\u2019 No, we wouldn\u2019t. I wouldn\u2019t be able to live with myself knowing, well, I got a little bit of extra money, but now I\u2019m not in the playoffs, or I\u2019m maybe the last team into the playoffs, and then we\u2019re getting beat by the Dodgers. I wouldn\u2019t be happy with that. I\u2019ve built too many relationships here.\u201d<\/p>\n Muncy said family stability was a particularly crucial factor. He and his wife, Kellie, welcomed their third child last month. And while their offseason home remains in Muncy\u2019s native Texas, the family has put down roots in the Southland, too.<\/p>\n \u201cMy kids were born in LA. The Dodgers are all they know,\u201d he said. \u201cThey know the stadium. They know all the people at the stadium. They love being there. Every time we\u2019re driving on the road and they see a Dodger blue color, they yell out, \u2018That\u2019s da-da blue. That\u2019s Dodger blue.\u2019 LA means something to them.\u201d<\/p>\n Then there\u2019s Muncy\u2019s standing within the organization.<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n With the Dodgers, he feels like he has \u201creal input\u201d with the coaching staff and front office. He relishes his veteran role as one of the more experienced players in the clubhouse.<\/p>\n \u201cThat\u2019s one of those things that was important, to know I\u2019m really a part of this organization,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s something that I didn\u2019t want to try to build somewhere else \u2013\u2013 or maybe it\u2019s not like that somewhere else.\u201d<\/p>\n Now, Muncy won\u2019t have to find out. If he plays through the 2028 season, he\u2019ll be 38. At that point, he thinks he\u2019ll probably be ready to retire, preferring to finish his career before his play declines to the point he is forced out of the game.<\/p>\n \u201cMore than likely, this deal is gonna be it,\u201d he said. \u201cI\u2019m not looking to chase it forever. I\u2019m looking to go out there and be competitive.\u201d<\/p>\n Advertisement<\/p>\n Right now, that remains the case, making Muncy not only the longest-tenured Dodger but also one of their most important players as they go for a World Series three-peat this year.<\/p>\n \u201cI want to decide really when I\u2019m done,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd this (new deal) gives me a good opportunity to do that.\u201d<\/p>\n
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